Photography has proven to be a great profession for 1) meeting new people and 2) seeing new places. We’re grateful for all our clients, and especially grateful when they’re ready and able to venture beyond their daily surroundings to discover new terrain.

A few months ago, we applied and were selected by Tribe Photo Co. to sponsor our engagement photo session excursion with Caleb & Ashley! Tribe Photo Co. is a company that offers Lightroom presets that emulate the look of film. The sponsorship required we use their presets to edit the photos from our trip and submit an essay describing the expedition. See below for the essay and photos:

In San Diego, you can have a wedding 5 days after Christmas and the weather will pretend its a glorious summer day. The pleasant weather set a laid back tone perfectly suiting Daniel and Amanda’s wedding day attitude. They never got the mandatory “stressed out” memo. They instead stayed calm, flexible and enjoyed every single part. Which perfectly suits their love - fun, meant to be and easy.

Cory & Carli are a really special couple. They’re fun, adventurous, kind, compassionate. Their love for each other is evident and sweet. After four years of marriage, their chemistry in front of the camera looks just like it did when we shot their wedding day. Results of being truly in love, and truly photogenic.

We love engagement sessions. They help us get to know a future wedding client couple better and serve as a warm up for photo taking on their big day. Whether you want a rad photo book for guests to sign or some images to remember what your love looked like in those sweet fiancé days, we always recommend em.

It was just so beautiful. We’ve never taken so many photos of people wiping tears. We’ve also never taken better dance floor photos. Love that makes us cry and makes us dance is what makes it true. It’s what makes us say “I do” forever and ever and mean it.

Proposals may be the best, but trickiest, events to photograph. When Caleb first contacted me about proposing to his girlfriend Ashley on the beach in Laguna, we immediately went into scheming mode. Tide charts, sunset times, crowd management, exact proposal locations and how to remain hidden while photographing it all were subjects we covered over multiple phone calls. We even met once at the location a couple days prior in order to plan it out as best we could.

Our final wedding of the summer was Tommy and Kristen’s. What a perfect day to close out the sunniest season to celebrate love.

We’ve seen a lot of weddings, and we’ve learned there are a few components that make a wedding great: 2 people in love ready to be together forever, a celebration with who they love most, where they love most, details unique to them, whether simple or elaborate, a bonus.

Sometimes people find love, other times love finds them. Karin and Darren’s is a story of love that sought and fought and believed and redeemed, even when it seemed like it wasn’t written in the stars. But when we look to the stars beyond what our eyes can see to the Creator of them all, we see there is no limit to where love will go and what it will do. Love is the most powerful thing we’ll ever know.

Amanda and Daniel found us through one of our spring wedding clients. From our phone conversation alone we could tell they were an awesome couple and we were stoked to meet them. We’ve been wanting to do an LA shoot for a while now and they were totally down - even with the drive from San Diego and back. Anything for great photos they said. We love them already.

We love the love Brooke and Jesse have. It’s sweet and lively and true. With the beauty and freshness of Spring in full bloom, their wedding was the perfect way to welcome the new season. A day full of love and all life’s good things was in store. The richest of new beginnings had arrived.

Our latest engagement shoot tells the story of why California is rightfully dubbed the Golden State. Its luscious landscapes, fields of flowers and killer coastal sunsets are a few reasons why many say west coast best coast. And somehow the people, like the place, are gorgeous too.

Wade and Beatriz are great together. They’re adventurous, fun, smart, have tons in common, are crazy in love and can’t wait to marry each other. Chemistry as big as theirs deserved a dynamic photo spot. We found it in the mountains and the results are epic.

Daniel and Helai’s wedding celebration was intimate and sweet. It was held at the Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club with about fifty of their family members and closest friends. I didn’t find this out until I arrived, but technically Daniel and Helai were already married. A few days prior, they went to a mosque and received the blessing to get married, so the day I was there to photograph was more of a wedding reception to commemorate their marriage with those they hold dear.

We met Zach and Tracy through a past wedding client couple we love. By association alone we already liked them, and when we met them face to face we learned just how likable they are. Zach is funny, Tracy is sweet, and they’re both super easy going and fun to be around. They’re crazy about each other too and it shows. Perfect pairs like them have the best of celebrations when it comes to starting a life together.

You know that pair of soccer shorts you borrowed from a friend from school and never returned? After a decade or so, they’re officially (and legally) yours. But you’re forever aware that they’re borrowed item whenever you put them on or see them in your drawer.

A few weeks ago I experienced Joshua Tree for the first time. It’s a special spot for Jesse and Leah and a location must for their engagement shoot. We carpooled to avoid taking two cars from Orange County on the 2.5 hour drive. I had only met them once before, so the trip could have been either awkward or an opportunity to get to know each another before taking a single photo. I’m happy to say it was definitely the latter.

Brooke and Jesse are engaged and as great together as they look together. We met them for a meal, heard their story, loved it and love them. Planning the photos for their big day has got us counting down till April 2.